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FAQ

Why do I have to wait so long when I call to book my follow-up appointment?

Our Trust, which runs hospitals in Wakefield, Pontefract and Dewsbury, serves over 500,000 people and our appointments centre takes approximately 1,000 calls per day.

Our centre employs specialist staff at the Trust who are trained to book an appointment for you as soon as possible and a member of the team will take your details and confirm an appointment as soon they can. They will always aim to get you an appointment within six weeks.

There are also plans in place to introduce a direct booking service across all hospital specialities so that you can book your appointment with us directly, at your GP surgery when you are referred, or online at your convenience. This new service will also have a dedicated booking line for patients who don't have internet access.

Why do I constantly get an engaged tone when I call the follow-up appointments line?

Previously, when a certain number of calls were coming through to the appointments centre, the system would prevent calls and the callers would receive an engaged tone. We have fixed this problem so that callers will have the option to use our 'call-back' facility when there are large volumes of calls. If you are calling to change or cancel an appointment, you can also do this online - Change or cancel a follow up appointment.

What are the opening times for the appointments centre to book my follow-up appointment? Can I call outside working hours?

The appointment centre is open from 8.30am to 7pm and from 9am to 12pm on Saturdays for people who need to call outside normal working hours. You can still access the online appointments form and the web page after normal working hours.

What can I expect to happen when I come for my follow-up appointment?

Our staff will ask you details about your condition. They may also want to know what medication you are currently taking. Depending on the nature of your complaint, the consultant may want to do an examination. Further treatment and tests may be dealt with as part of a review appointment unless it states otherwise in your hospital letter or if the consultant sends you for further treatment/tests on the day of your appointment.